1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved material cutting apparatus of laying and cutting material including cloth, leather and vinyl.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous devices have been disclosed in the prior art for cutting cloth, these devices varying considerably in their construction and complexity. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,503,353 to Pugh discloses a cloth cutting apparatus wherein cloth to be cut is engaged by means adapted to stretch the cloth in the path of a cutting element as the cutting element is advanced along guide rails. Such a structure necessitates the laying of the cloth over top of the apparatus prior to effecting the cutting operation. As a result, the use of such an apparatus results in a cutting operation which is quite slow and therefore completely impractical in industry today.
The use of stationary devices in association with a cutting table are well known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,235,459 discloses a leather cutting machine used particularly for making harnesses. This patent discloses the use of a cutter board having a pivotally mounted support structure for a cutter carriage consisting of a sliding block having a lower groove to receive a longitudinal rib. The longitudinal rib forms a guide for the cutter carriage which can be manually advanced across the width of the cutter board. The use of such a stationary apparatus necessitates the laying of the material relative to the apparatus, thereby limiting the use of such an apparatus to one location on the cutter board. As a result, in the case of a lay of material which is generally 50 to 60 feet, but may be any desired length, any damaged portions of the material in the length thereof must be removed manually using scissors. However, the use of scissors is both time consuming and, in the case of a normal width of material, requires the laying operation to be performed by at least two workmen. Further, when cutting the damaged portion of material from the lay, the cut obtained frequently varies from a line perpendicular to the edge of the lay. As a result, wastage of two to six inches of material can occur in each lay. Considering that there may be seventy lays of material on the cutter board before the cutting out operation of the patterns is commenced, it is apparent that the losses in material costs alone can be substantial when using scissors.